The King Just Sits There, Moving One

Memories Were Short And History Unkind. It Was The Way Of The World.

In This Room We Understand Why This War Might Be Fought...it's About Our Common Belief That No One Has The Right To Tell Two Creatures That They Cannot Love Each Other--no Matter What Their Species.

Somewhere In The Center Of My Soul, A Rusty Chain Began To Unwind. It Freed Itself, Link By Link, From Where It Had Rested, Unobserved, Waiting For Him. My Hands, Which Had Been Balled Up And Pressed Against His Chest, Unfurled With It. The Chain Continued To Drop, To An Unfathomable Depth Where There Was Nothing But Darkness And Matthew. At Last It Snapped To Its Full Length, Anchoring Me To A Vampire. Despite The Manuscript, Despite The Fact That My Hands Contained Enough Voltage To Run A Microwave, And Despite The Photograph, As Long As I Was Connected To Him, I Was Safe.

That Evening, Rowing On The Quiet River As Sunset Turned To Dusk, I Saw An Occasional Smoky Smudge On The Towpath, Always Slightly Ahead Of Me, Like A Dark Star Guiding Me Home.

It Is A Blessing As Well As A Burden To Love So Much That You Can Hurt So Badly When Love Is Gone.